Naturally occurring radioactive materials in offshore infrastructure: Understanding formation and characteristics of baryte scale during decommissioning planning.

Autor: MacIntosh A; Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Lucas Heights, Locked Bag 2001, NSW, 2232, Australia; School of Natural Sciences, Wallumattagal Campus, Macquarie University, Ryde, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: amy.macintosh@hdr.mq.edu.au., Oldfield DT; Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Lucas Heights, Locked Bag 2001, NSW, 2232, Australia., Cendón DI; Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Lucas Heights, Locked Bag 2001, NSW, 2232, Australia; School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia., Langendam AD; Australian Synchrotron, Clayton VIC 3168, Australia., Howell N; Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Lucas Heights, Locked Bag 2001, NSW, 2232, Australia., Howard DL; Australian Synchrotron, Clayton VIC 3168, Australia., Cresswell T; Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Lucas Heights, Locked Bag 2001, NSW, 2232, Australia.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Journal of hazardous materials [J Hazard Mater] 2024 Mar 05; Vol. 465, pp. 133506. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jan 15.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133506
Abstrakt: Contaminants, including naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) of the 238-uranium and 232-thorium decay series, have been recognized as a global research priority to inform offshore petroleum infrastructure decommissioning decisions. This study aimed to characterize pipeline scale retrieved from a decommissioned subsea well tubular pipe through high-resolution elemental mapping and isotopic analysis. This was achieved by utilizing transmission electron microscopy, Synchrotron x-ray fluorescence, photostimulated luminescence autoradiography and Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry. The scale was identified as baryte (BaSO 4 ) forming a dense crystalline matrix, with heterogenous texture and elongated crystals. The changing chemical and physical microenvironment within the pipe influenced the gradual growth rate of baryte over the production life of this infrastructure. A distinct compositional banding of baryte and celestine (SrSO 4 ) bands was observed. Radioactivity attributed by the presence of radionuclides ( 226 Ra, 228 Ra) throughout the scale was strongly correlated with baryte. From the detailed scale characterization, we can infer the baryte scale gradually formed within the internals of the tubular well pipe along the duration of production (i.e., 17 years). This new knowledge and insight into the characteristics and formation of petroleum waste products will assist with decommissioning planning to mitigate potential radiological risks to marine ecosystems.
Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Tom Cresswell reports financial support was provided by Undisclosed oil and gas industry partner. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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